Parking restrictions coming to Middle Village next week during Penelope Ave. construction

The Department of Design and Construction (DDC) has released an advisory to the Middle Village community about parking restrictions coming next week related to a controversial sewer project.

The Aug. 17 advisory notes that roadway restoration will be taking place in several locations surrounding the Penelope Avenue sewer project, which was halted in November 2017 when lead and other contaminants were found in the soil. A spokesperson for Councilman Robert Holden, who exposed the contamination issue to the community in April, confirmed that roadway paving is a temporary measure the DDC is taking while still figuring out how to move forward with the sewer project.

According to the advisory, the work and related parking restrictions will take place from Monday, Aug. 20, to Friday, Aug. 24, for eight hours beginning at 6 a.m., weather permitting. The affected locations are as follows:

75th Street between 66th Drive and Juniper Valley Road

Gray Street between 66th Drive and Juniper Valley Road

77th Street between Juniper Valley Road and Gray Street

Juniper Valley Road between 77th Street and 75th Street

Residents are advised to remove their vehicles from their driveways before 6 a.m. on Monday to avoid getting blocked by the construction.

In a statement on Aug. 17, Holden explained that he recently met with DDC Commissioner Lorraine Grillo to speak about the sewer project. Holden learned that a change order costing $8 million is currently being worked out, and the councilman is awaiting further updates as to when the sewer work would commence.

While he said Grillo is an “especially capable person” after her recent appointment to commissioner, he was critical of the way DDC has handled its projects in the past.

“While infrastructure investment is needed in my district, the way that the DDC oversaw their projects was beyond abysmal, and change was required,” Holden said. “It shouldn’t take nine months for money to be allocated to a project that should have contingency plans built-in for situations like this.”

Holden also mentioned the flooding in Middle Village after recent severe thunderstorms, which has shed new light on the aging water main structure in desperate need of repairs.

“Flooding has been a problem in Middle Village for decades, and my predecessors did little to address these issues,” Holden said. “As taxpayers, my constituents deserve better.”